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-   -   Darwin and Kakadu (https://www.fodors.com/community/australia-and-the-pacific/darwin-and-kakadu-407229/)

eznmomma Mar 5th, 2004 11:12 AM

Darwin and Kakadu
 
My family has planned a trip to Australia - Melbourne, Adelaide, Cairns and Sydeny. Some have suggested that we add Darwin and Kakadu for an extra three days. Is it worth the trip?

Doh Mar 5th, 2004 12:06 PM

Well, it's a very unusual, beautiful place, but I really think you need to provide some more information such as--

how long are you going for?
where would you be if you weren't there?
what time of year are you going?
what sort of things do you like to do/see?

eznmomma Mar 5th, 2004 12:26 PM

We are going to Australia and New Zealand in April for about 25 days. Right now the plan is to go to Melbourne, drive to Adelaide, fly to Cairns and then to Sydney. Of course we will stay a few days in each place to see the usual. From Melbourne to Adelaide we are driving with stops in Port Fairy and Robe.We would go to Darwin between Adelaide and Cairsn. In Cairns we plan to do the usual, GBR and Daintree(it was suggested we do an overnight in Daintree). Our last stop is Sydney for a few days and then on to New Zealand.Darwin would be an added three days in the middle.

simpsonc510 Mar 5th, 2004 01:34 PM

I spent several days in Kakadu/Darwin in 1988 and LOVED it. Kakadu was a very lovely peaceful place where you could, at that time, experience nature and not be bothered by TV and phones. It was a delightful way to get away from it all. I don't know if Kakadu is still an escape from the everyday or not. If it is, the GO FOR IT.

mjnbrown Mar 5th, 2004 05:06 PM

I spent 3 days in Darwin/Kakadu in 2001 and enjoyed Kakadu, but not really Darwin. My first comment to you is: please keep in mind the distances you're traveling - they are very great. I'm not sure how long it takes to get from Adelaide to Darwin, but it took me 6 hours flying to get from Darwin to Sydney, if I remember correctly. I spent one week in Port Douglas, which I absolutely loved. My suggestion would be to consider spending more time closer to your set destinations rather than spend a lot of time traveling half-way across Australia.
Martha

Lyndie Mar 5th, 2004 06:21 PM

We took a cruise from Cairns via Thursday Island to Broome via Darwin in Jan 2003. We arrived in Darwin later than expected and decided to do a bus trip to Litchfield Park instead of a flight to Kakadu due to time constraints. My husband (a Darwin/Jabiru resident for some years)has been to both Kakadu and Litchfield and his recommendation was Litchfield wins hands down for accessability and its beauty. It is a smaller version of Kakadu and only 2.5 hrs from Darwin by road.Just a thought. Darwin is a OK little city with not much to see-some nice restaurants out of the city on the water but not much else to recommend it. The shopping is pretty basic-it is a bigger version of Alice Springs with a harbour. I'd skip Darwin and fly to Broome-the Kimberley is amazing and the beaches up at Cape Leveque worth the light plane trip. No where like the Kimberley for us and the pearls in Broome are fabulous and the scenery is breathtaking! Australia at it's most beautiful and wild!


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